Flexible box.



W. O. WILLETS.

FLEXIBLE BOX.

APPLICATION IILED MAR. 2, 1912.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

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with a flap 8.

l i p FLEXIBLE Box.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 11915.

Application filed March 2, 1912. Serial No. 681,261.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. Winners, of Minneapolis, I-Iennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a paper board box in which thecover and the body of the box are interchangeable, either one telescoping with the other when the box is set up. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for locking the walls of the box in their set-up position.

The invention consists generally in punching a tongue out of the bottom of the box n position to engage the end wall, when t 1s folded to an erect position, thereby locking the side and end walls in position for use.

In the accompanying. drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 1s a perspective view of a folded box em'bodymg my invention, Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of the blank showing it scored, ready for folding, Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of one end of the box, showing-the modified construction.

In the drawing, 2 represents the bottom of the box, 3-the side walls, scored at 4:, and provided with end flaps 5.

6 is an end wall scored at 7 and provided These end flaps are made slightly narrower at their outer ends by trimming off one of the longitudinal edges, as indicated in Fig. 2. Between the flaps 5 and the end wall 6 triangular sections or segments are cut out, so that when the walls of the box are folded, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, it, will be possible to spread the side walls of one section sufliciently to telescope with the corresponding walls of the other section. I am thus able to make the top and bottom of the box interchangeable, and no fitting or matching of the sections will be required. It often happens where the top and bottom are not interchangeable that a cover or a bottom will become broken or damaged, and then the entire box is rendered useless. With my invention this difficulty and expense is avoided, for as long as a pair of sections remains a complete box can be assembled. The end walls 6 will have sufficient freedom of movement with the tongues 5 to allow them to be bent inwardly to fit within a similar box or outwardly to allow the ends of the other box section to be inserted between them.

By the removal of the triangular sections the end walls are made narrower from their inner toward their outer ends and the end wall flaps are trimmed so that they increase in width from their inner toward their outer portions and when folded over the end walls, the ends of the flaps will register with the ends of the walls and the outer corners of the end wall flaps will fit into the corners of the box and brace and strengthen it at that point. The space between the end walls and their flaps forms a uide-way for the side wall flaps, which slide freely therein, and the taper of the end walls and their flaps permits this movement of the side walls and allows them to swing inwardly or outwardly to adapt a section for use as a cover or as the body of the box. The blanks are made alike, being scored and cut in the same manner, and the trimmingvof the end walls and their flaps allows-a freedom of movement of the side walls and a telescoping of the sections which would not be possible in boxes as usually constructed. 1 The flaps 5 are turned in when the sides 3 are folded'and when the end wall 6 is raised the flap is bent down inwardly over the flaps 5 to the position shown in Fig. 1, and to lock this flapin its folded position I prefer to provide a tongue 9 punched out of the bottom of the box in position to engage a tongue 10 that is pressed out of the flap 8, the ton ue 10 being preferably scored, as shown, to t the corner between the bottom and the flap 8 when the box is set up, as shown plainly in Fig. 1. This tongue 10 serves in this position as a reinforcing means to strengthen the corner. and when the edge of the tongue is slipped under the locking tongue 9 the flap 8 will be securely held in place.

Instead of forming a tongue in the flap 8 I may provide a lip 11 at the edge of the flap, as shown in Fig. 3, and provide a series of locking tongues 9 in the bottom of the box at intervals therein instead of the single one shown in Fig. 2. This lip or flange, while necessitating a slight increase in the use of stock will aid materially in bracing and strengthening the corner of the box.

I do not wish to be confined to the location of the locking tongue, or the position of the tongue 10 in the end flap, as various 7 one skilled in this art.

I claim as my invention 1. A folding box composed of duplicate telescoping sections, each section comprising a flexible blank scored longitudinally and transversely to form side and end Walls, the transverse scores of said blank intersecting the longitudinal scores and extending to the longitudinal edges of the blank to form flaps at the ends of the side walls thereof, said flaps decreasing in width toward their outer ends and said end walls having a tapered segment removed from each end thereof, whereby said walls decrease in width from their inner toward their outer ends, said end walls having flaps formed thereon which are adapted to fold inwardly and downwardly when the box is set up, said flaps increasing in width from their point of uncture with said end walls to their outer ends and adapted to fit into the corners of the box at thebottom and brace and strengthenthe same, said sidewall flaps being inserted between said end walls and the flaps thereof and concealed thereby,

the taper of said end walls and said end wall flaps allowing said side wall flaps to slide between'them to move said side Walls inwardly or outwardly and permit one section of the box to telescope with the other.

2. A folding box comprising duplicate sections adapted to telescope with oneanother, each consisting of a blank scored longitudinally and transversely near its longitudinal and transverse edges and parallel therewith, forming side and end walls, said side walls having en'd' flaps formed thereon, the outer longitudinal edges of said end flaps being tapered, their inner corresponding edges being substantially straight, the ends of said end walls being-tapered and thereby narrower at their outer ends than at their inner ends, flaps formed on the outer longitudinal edges of said end walls and adapted to fold inwardly and downwardly over said end walls, the space between said end walls and their .fiaps forming guide-ways for said side wall flaps, the

taper of said end walls allowing said side Walls to be moved inwardly or outwardly to'expand or contract a section and adapt it for telescoping with the other section.

3. A folding box of flexible material having an end wall with a flap formed thereon that is adapted to be folded inwardly and downwardly when the box is set up, the bottom of said box having a locking tongue pressed or punched therefrom, and said flap having a tongue pressed therefrom intermediate to its longitudinal edges and scored to fit into the angle formed by the intersection of said flap and said bottom and engaging the locking tongue of said bottom.

4. A folding box composed of duplicate telescoping sections, each comprising a blank scored longitudinally and trans: versely near its longitudinal and transverse edges and parallel therewith and forming side and end walls, said side walls having end flaps formed thereon, said end walls decreasing in width from their inner toward their outer ends, and flaps formed on the outer ends of said end walls and adapted to fold inwardly and downwardly over said end walls when the section is set up,

saidend walls and fla s forming guides to receive said side wall aps, said side wall flaps sliding freely between said end wall flaps 'and'said end Walls, and the taper of said end walls allowing said side walls to swing inwardly or outwardly to allow one section to telescope with the other section.

5. 'A folding box composed of duplicate telescoping sections, each comprising a blank having side and end walls and end' flaps formed on said walls, said end walls decreasing in width from their inner toward their outer ends, the flaps of said end walls being adapted to fold inwardly and having edges to register substantially with the tapered ends of said .end walls and form therewith guides for said side wall flaps inserted between them, said side wall flaps sliding freely in said guides and the taper of said end walls allowing said side wall fiaps to swing inwardly ,to points within the outline of the base or outwardly therefrom to allow one section to telescope with the other section.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 27 day of February 1912.

WILLIAM C. WILLETS.

Witnesses:

GENEVIEVE E. SoRnNsEN, EDWARD A. PAUL. 

